Switched (AU)
by LiliacSkies
Summary: AU: Prior to Maleficent's defeat, she cast a curse to allow for her first born to ascend to the throne. Seventeen years later, Mal is living in the luxuries of Auradon, about to be crowned Queen. Meanwhile, Ben lives on the Isle of The Lost, surrounded by Evil. With Mal's first proclamation to bring the children of the Isle into Auradon, will the two uncover their true identities?
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE: 22 Years Prior...**

Once upon a time, in a land with magic, a terrible war broke out between Good and Evil.

Maleficent, the Mistress of all Evil, had banded together with the most evil villains in existence to conquer the lands of Magic. All kingdoms were endangered as these villains pillaged the land, leaving nothing but ruins in their wake. The world seemed hopeless for those who clung onto the hopes of a tomorrow, of another day.

That is, until Adam Beast intervened.

With his wife by his side, he lead his armies into victory against the Mistress of all Evil. They conquered every adversary Maleficent threw their way, exiling them to the Isle of The Lost.

However, Maleficent refused to be taken down so easily.

You see, the Mistress of All Evil had a plan up her sleeve. As each of her armies fell, she began brewing and plotting a curse that would change the course of her story forever. A curse so powerful that even her henchmen cowered in fear for the future of all Kingdoms.

In her castle, as the Beast's armies approached, Maleficent prepared her cauldron for her final curse. She knew she could no longer defeat the Beast, not yet at least. She first had to grow stronger once more, and once the curse was cast, she'd have plenty of time to do so.

Her henchmen watched in worry as Maleficent carefully dripped her blood into the cauldron, the mixture turning a deep dazzling purple. The guards of the castle looked out of the windows in fear as they spotted soldiers of the Beast's armies approaching. Maleficent, however, was far too entranced in her curse.

"Mistress," one of the guards called in worry, "They are approaching!"

"Allow them to," Maleficent smirked, "For now, we cast the curse."

Maleficent flicked her wrist to cast the room into a dark purple haze. Candles lit the corners of the room, barely illuminating the Mistress of all Evil as she stirred the concoction with her own staff. Smoke seemed to seep out of the cauldron, and with a confident smirk, Maleficent recited her curse.

 _"Let it be;_  
 _That on the fifth anniversary of Evil's defeat,_  
 _A child, with heart as pure as gold, be born by the Beast's blood,_  
 _And let this child be nurtured in the sorrow and pleasures of Evil,_  
 _By the Beast's greatest enemy._

 _And let it be,_  
 _That a child with the darkest intentions may also be born,_  
 _By the same foe who will nurture the Beast's child._  
 _However, let this child be blessed by goodness and richness under the Beast's throne._  
 _And for when the child is Crowned, let the greatest of all Evil's descend onto the Kingdoms."_

* * *

 _ **A/N: So... New story!**_

 _ **I've wanted to write a Ben/Mal switched storyline in a long time but I've never been able to find the time. However, as I am procrastinating from revising for my exams, I now have found some time! Please bare in mind that 'switched' storylines may be quite popular, however this work is completely my own. If there is any correlation with any other authors work, this is purely coincidental as this is such a popular storyline.**_

 _ **Some points to make for the story:**_

 _ **\- Ben and Mal's names will not switch, as the parents of both Mal and Ben are under the influence of the Curse.**_

 _ **\- The plot of the story will follow the course of the first movie for the first few chapters, before changing into a storyline that will fit the 'switched' theme.**_

 _ **Thank you for reading! x**_


	2. Chapter 1: The Proclamation

Mal was nervous to say the least.

She'd spent the majority of her teenage years adhering to the perfect Auradon Princess mould. She was poised, compassionate and kind, just as everyone expected her to be. With her long blonde locks and dazzling smile, she was the picture perfect candidate to take over the throne for her parents as Queen of Auradon.

Except, she wasn't.

Despite her outwards appearance, her insides brewed with rebelliousness. Her hands itched to cast spells and to break the rules, even just once.

You see, Mal knew she wasn't normal. At the age of thirteen, her once pristine blonde locks had started to turn purple, along with the most terrifying part of it all; magic. She'd been accidentally casting spells left and right, going unknown to her parents as she struggled with keeping her powers at bay.

And so, during the summer of her thirteenth birthday, she spent every waking moment in the palace library, soaking in any and every piece of information about magic. She didn't tell her parents, didn't dare to disappoint them. Instead, she simply spelled her hair back to its ghostly blonde shade and continued her studies as the Princess of Auradon, never revealing her powers to a single soul.

Despite popular belief, being a princess didn't equal freedom. Being a princess meant learning diplomacy and the culture of your people. It meant extravagant Balls and parties, and meetings filled with complex issues happening in your Kingdom. It meant carrying the burden that your bloodline had exiled hundreds of people to a remote isle far from the coast of Auradon, a prison for evil.

Mal hated the Isle. She hated everything about the idea of dozens if not hundreds of innocent children trapped in the Isle, without a chance at a normal life. It meant children who could become great rulers were forced to live their lives on the scraps of the citizens of Auradon, given the bare minimum for their sins. Except, Mal recognised the sheer number of citizen on the Isle having committed no crimes.

And so, the reason Mal had been nervous in the first place was not because of the fitting for her coronation gown. In fact, she was nervous to see her own parents; to see their reaction to her first official Royal Proclamation. She toyed with the ring on her finger; a golden Beast ring, the emblem of her family. She stared at the distant ocean, knowing that just a few more miles away lay the Isle of The Lost, the prison that had weighed on her heart for years.

She jumped as she felt the small prick of a pin on her leg as Lumiere conducted his gown fitting. The elderly man apologised before readjusting the tight waist of the dress, making sure it fit snugly to Mal's figure.

She hated the gown. It was blue and golden, the colours of Auradon. The petticoat was itchy and the skirt heavy, despite being weaved from the finest silk. It was beautiful regardless, but Mal just didn't feel like herself inside the layers of fabric.

"Oh, Pumpkin," Belle gushed upon seeing her daughter in the gown as she entered the room, "You look beautiful."

"Don't you think it's too much?" Mal asked, looking down at the dress, "I mean, with the crown and all."

"It looks perfect," Adam agreed as he followed his wife into the room, "How is it possible that you're going to be crowned Queen next month?! You're just a baby!"

"She's turning seventeen, dear," Belle laughed lovingly at her husband, placing her hand on his arm.

"Seventeen is far too young to be crowned Queen," Adam scoffed, "I didn't make a good decision until I was at least forty-two."

"You decided to marry me at twenty eight," Belle scowled, Mal laughing at her parents loving banter.

"Well it was either you or the Teapot," King Beast joked, adding a quiet "Kidding" in the aftermath of his joke.

"Mom, dad..." Mal began nervously, taking a step away from Lumiere and towards her parents, "I've decided my first official Royal Proclamation as Queen."

"How exciting," Belle gushed, eagerly awaiting Mal's announcement.

"I've decided," Mal began with a deep breath, "That the children on the Isle Of the Lost be given a chance to live here in Auradon."

Silence fell upon the room as the two monarchs processed their daughters wishes.

"Every time I look out to the Isle, I feel like they've been abandoned-" Mal continued, interrupted by her father.

"The children of our sworn enemies," the King processed, "Living among us?!"

"We start out with a few at first, only the ones who need our help the most," Mal pressed, a new found confidence sparking inside her, as if she had been destined to do this, "I've already chosen them."

"Have you?" the King asked in disbelief, staring at his daughter in shock.

"I gave you a second chance," Belle calmly yet firmly reminded her husband, turning back to her daughter, "Who are their parents?"

Mal took a deep breath, "Cruella De Vil... Jafar... Evil Queen..."

Mal paused, "...and Maleficent."

"Maleficent?!" King Beast exclaimed with rage, "She is the worst villain in the land! My sworn enemy!"

"Dad, just hear me out!"

"I won't hear of it," the King argued, "They are guilty of unspeakable crimes!"

"Dad, their children are innocent!" Mal exclaimed, the room falling into silence. She paused, before adding, "Don't you think they deserve a shot at a normal life?"

King Beast paused, considering his daughters words. Finally, looking at his daughter with a kind smile, he relented.

"I suppose their children are innocent."

Mal beamed in victory as her parents slowly left the room to tend to their royal duties, her mother mouthing a cheery "Well done" to her daughter.

Looking back out into the ocean, Mal wondered what was happening on the Isle in that moment. Maybe in liberating the children of the Isle, she could change the course of history for good.

* * *

Ben hadn't always been the best at being evil.

His mother had trained him well over the course of the years, but he'd often found himself doing the right thing far too many times. Instead of stealing candy from a child, for example, he'd often give them more candy that he'd acquired. This, obviously, infuriated his mother, who attempted to turn him bitter and ruthless and cold for years.

Eventually, she'd succeeded. She'd created the perfect son, with wickedness coursing through his veins. He was destined to follow in his mothers footsteps and, one day, take over the world with evil.

He wasn't alone, however. Despite the Isle being a place of ruthlessness and fear, Ben had found three people he truly cared for, yet would never admit to it. Carlos, Evie and Jay were his comrades on the Isle, known as the Wicked Four. They ruled their territory with an iron fist, terrorising anyone in their wake. They caused mischief and torment, and enjoyed doing so.

They were rotten to the core, being the children of the most famous villains in all the land. Evie, being the daughter of the Evil Queen, hadn't always been part of this gang. In fact, Ben once hated her for not inviting him and his mother to her birthday party. However, he'd buried this grudge into the ground when he realised how valuable of a person she truly was, with her hidden smarts she'd never revealed to her mother.

Jay and Carlos had been attached to Ben's hip since they were ten. The three of them were inseparable, eventually welcoming Evie into their tightly knit group. And now, dancing and causing havoc in the streets of the Isle, Ben felt safe knowing that although he may not be a King or a Prince, these were his people. And he'd do anything to protect them.

The four had just finished their daily rounds of the market place, stealing as much food as possible. They were ready to head back to their hidden den when Ben noticed his mother approaching them, her henchmen surrounding her.

"Hi, Mom," Ben greeted as the henchmen stepped aside to reveal Maleficent, as wickedly dressed as ever.

Maleficent stared at the dainty lollypop between Ben's fingers, scoffing, "Stealing candy, Ben? I'm so disappointed."

"It was from a baby," Ben justified with a shrug, earning a wicked smile from his mother.

"That's my nasty little boy," Maleficent praised before taking the lollypop and spitting on if, rubbing it under her arm before handing if over to her henchmen, "Give it back to the dreadful creature."

"Mom..." Ben attempted to protest.

"It's the deeds, Ben, that make the difference between mean and truly evil," Maleficent explained, hooking her arm around her son, "When I was your age, I was cursing entire kingdoms..."

"Cursing entire kingdoms," Ben echoed, earning a disapproving glare from his mother.

"Walk with me," Maleficent commanded, leading her som away from his friends, "See, I'm just, just trying to teach you the thing that really counts... How to be me."

"I know," Ben nodded, "And I'll do better."

"Oh! There's news!" Maleficent announced, turning her son back towards his friends.

"You four have been chosen to go to a different school..." Maleficent began, "In Auradon."

Instantly, Evie, Carlos and Jay attempted to run away, Maleficent's minions grabbing them before they had a chance to. Ben turned to face his mother in disbelief.

"What?!" he began protesting, "I'm not going to some boarding school filled to the brim with... With a bunch of goody-two-shoes and rules and-"

"And perfect princes," Evie gushed, earning a glare from Ben before she corrected herself, "Ugh."

"Yeah, and I don't do uniforms. Unless It's leather. You feel me?" Jay added, preparing to high-five an unresponsive and terrified Carlos.

"I read somewhere that they allow dogs in Auradon," Carlos stuttered in fear, "Mom said they're rabid pack animals who eat boys who don't behave."

"Woof!" Jay yelled, causing Carlos to jump and hit a laughing Jay.

"Yeah," Ben decided, "We're not going."

"Oh, you're thinking small, Bennyboo. It's all about world domination!" Maleficent explained, gesturing for the kids to follow her, which they reluctantly did.

And sure, Ben was protesting to his mother. But secretly, he was excited. He wanted to see Auradon, to explore every corner and crevice of the new land. He didn't know if it was the suppressed goodness that was making him think it was a good idea, but regardless of that, he'd do what his mother thought was best.

Besides, if he was the son of Maleficent, he was destined to release evil into the world. Right?


	3. Chapter 2: The Arrival

**A/N: This chapter is pretty much exactly what happens upon the VK's arrival in Auradon, and their parents reactions. Very sorry if you find this boring, however the real AU will begin in the next chapters coming! xx**

* * *

"Are you _kidding me?!_ "

Mal winced at her best friends shrieks, covering her ears, "Seriously Audrey, you could take out the Tourney team with your voice."

"You're letting _villains_ into Auradon?!" Audrey asked in disbelief, pacing the floor of their shared dorm room, "What's gotten into you? I thought you were joking!"

"I'm giving the children of villains a chance at a normal life," Mal explained, "Come on Audrey, their children are innocent."

"But they were raised by their _parents."_ Audrey argued, "It's not too late to change the Proclamation, you know-"

"Audrey," Mal chastised with a pointed look.

"Alright, fine!" Audrey conceded, falling back onto her bed gracefully, "I agree to give them a chance."

"Thank you," Mal replied from her own bed in their shared dorm room, "You never know; maybe your prince might be amongst them."

Audrey snorted, "I highly doubt that. When are they arriving anyway?"

"About five hours-" Mal began, causing Audrey to shriek again.

"That's barely any time at all!" she exclaimed as she ran over to her wardrobe, "I need to find the perfect dress; something that screams 'I'm-a-benevolent-princess'.'

"Didn't know there were so many requirements," Mal snorted, texting their friend Jane to ask for updates from the welcoming committee.

"What are you wearing?" Audrey questioned, turning to Mal.

"Uh - what I'm wearing right now?" Mal replied in confusion, gesturing to her simple lilac day dress.

"Oh no you're not," Audrey protested immediately, stalking over to Mal, "You're their future Queen, and you need to wear something that shows that. That included heels."

"Anything _but_ heels," Mal replied mockingly as Audrey pulled her to her feet and towards her wardrobe, "Fine, what do you suggest?"

"That blue dress you wore to the theatre opening last fall," Audrey replied immediately, searching through the seas of fabrics, "I haven't seen you wear that in _ages_."

Mal wrinkled her nose in disgust at the idea of wearing the dress again. It was light blue and frilly, with tulip-capped sleeves and mint green detailing. She would much rather wear something simple, like jeans and cool shirt. However she knew Audrey would never allow that, and the press would have a field day in picturing their future Queen in something 'indecent'. And so, she grabbed the dress from Audrey's hands reluctantly, earning an excited squeal from Audrey.

"And now for the makeup!"

* * *

"You will go to Auradon, you will find me Fairy Godmothers wand and you will bring it to me," Maleficent commanded from her cozy throne in her home, "Easy peasy."

"What's in it for us?" Ben asked cunningly, standing near his mother loyally.

"Matching thrones. Hers-and-his crowns-"

"Um... I-I think he meant us," Carlos stuttered nervously from his seat next to his own mother.

Maleficent bickered Ben closer, grabbing his shoulder, "It's all about me and you Bennyboo. Do you enjoy watching innocent people suffer?"

"Well yeah," Ben scoffed, "I mean who doesn't..."

"Well, then get me the wand and you and I can see all that and so much more!" Maleficent exclaimed excitedly, "And with that wand and my scepter, I will be able to bond both good and evil to my will!"

"Our will," the Evil Queen reminded her.

"Our will, our will..." Maleficent trailed off, waving off the Evil Queen with her hand before turning back to Mal, "And if you refuse, you're grounded for the rest of your life."

"W-Mom!" Ben tried to protest, Maleficent easily shushing him.

Maleficent's eyes lit up with a fierce green, staring into her sons eyes. Ben's eyes mimicked his mothers, only with an intense bright blue. The two stared at each other in confrontation, Ben's eyes soon faltering and returning to their normal colour.

"Fine," he grumbled as his mother cheerily sang, "I win."

"Evie my little evil-lette in training," the Evil Queen gushed as she sat Evie in front of her, "You just find yourself a prince with a big castle and a mother-in-law wing."

"And lots and lots of mirrors!" The two gushed together, a huge smile stretching across Evie's face.

"No laughing. Wrinkles," the Evil Queen reminded her daughter.

"Well, they're not taking my Carlos, because I'd miss him too much," Cruella gushed about her own son.

"Really, mom?" Carlos asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Cruella replied cheerily, "Who would touch up my roots, fluff my fur, and scrape the bunions off my feet?"

"Yeah," Carlos grumbled, "Maybe a new school wouldn't be the worst thing."

"Oh, Carlos," Cruella reprimanded, "They have dogs in Auradon."

"Okay no, I'm not going!" Carlos instantly turned, the thought of a dog sending shivers down his spine, causing Maleficent to snort.

The bickering between the villains and their children continued until, finally, Maleficent pulled Ben to one side, removing him from the now-heated debate between Carlos and his mother.

"You want to ruin lives, correct?" Maleficent asked her son, who nodded in return, "Then you're going to need this."

Maleficent handed Ben a leather-bound book with a dragon emblem attached to the front. The leather was worn and torn, with green emeralds embellished in the corners. He looked at the cover curiously, having never seen it in their home.

"It's my old spell-book," Maleficent explained, "It doesn't work here, but it will in Auradon. The day has come for you to continue my legacy."

"Yes mother," Ben replied obediently, eyes fixated on the cover.

Maleficent slowly lifted Ben's chin to once again stare into his eyes, "The future of the free world rests on your shoulders. Don't blow it."

A honking sound interrupted the moment, signalling the arrival of their car. Ben quickly stuffed the book into his backpack, containing all of his possessions. With his blue leather jacket draped over his shoulders and his mismatching blue leather trousers, he was ready to face Auradon.

"Let's get this party started!" Jay called from the main room as the Villains and their kids began leaving. Ben soon followed, Maleficent instead moving to stand on her balcony, overlooking the Isle.

The Wicked Four stepped outside of Maleficent's home to be met with not just a car, but a limousine. With the bright Auradon banners attached to the headlights, it sat luxuriously on the Isle Of the Lost, completely out of place against the garbage cans lining the nearby walls.

"Now, recite our mantra," Jafar commanded as Jay dumped his backpack in the back of the limo.

"There's no team in 'I'," Jay replied simply, earning a clap on his back from his father.

"Oh, run along, you're making me tear up," Jafar joked as Jay climbed into the limo, followed by Carlos.

Evie soon followed after the boys, climbing in gracefully. Ben was the last to enter, giving his mother one final look from her position on their balcony. With a deep breath, he climbed into the limousine, wondering if he'd ever see the Isle Of the Lost again.

Shutting the door behind him, he situated himself next to the window, watching as the parents of his friends tearfully waved goodbye. He watched as the Isle zoomed past him, wondering what exactly was lying on the other side of the barrier, waiting for their arrival.

"You're looking a little washed out," Evie commented as she pulled out a compact of pink chalk from her bag, "Here, let me help you."

"Ew, no," Ben protested, swatting her hands away, "I'm plotting."

"Well, it doesn't suit your face," Evie shrugged, applying the chalk to her own face.

Ben snorted, "Don't tell my mother that."

Evie rolled her eyes, watching as Jay and Carlos eagerly ate the candy laid out in front of them. Ben smirked as he watched the two fight over the last piece of candy, realising that maybe, Auradon wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Mal was terrified.

She had drunk about three camomile and honey teas to calm down, as instructed by Audrey, but nothing seemed to work. Her nerves were skyrocketing as the Villain Kids approached, the Auradon Prep band setting up outside the school, ready to play their welcoming march. Audrey had spent hours pampering them both in preparation, Mal's feet already aching from the agonising height of her high heels.

"Do you think I should have worn the yellow dress?" Audrey asked Mal as the two girls walked towards the entrance of the school, "I mean, I _know_ pink is my colour, but yellow just screams _sunshine and happiness_ , you know?"

"I'm sure you'll have no problems in projecting that yourself," Mal reassured her, needing reassurance herself, "Do you think the band is too much?"

"There is no such thing as too much," Audrey replied simply as the two stood at the front of the school, "Oh, how typical. They must be late."

"I'm sure it's just traffic," Mal shrugged.

"From the Isle Of the Lost?" Audrey scoffed, crossing her arms, "Don't be ridiculous."

Before Mal could concoct a witty reply, the band suddenly started playing. Looking away from Audrey and towards the gates of the school, Mal spotted the familiar limousine approaching them. Fairy Godmother rushed over to the two girls too, taking charge as the headmistress of the school.

Mal felt her heart drop as she realised it was actually happening. She was actually about to unleash possible villains into Auradon, into her kingdom. However, she decided to keep a positive attitude, and instead plastered a smile on her face as the limousine stopped in front of them.

The driver climbed out of his seat to stand by the limousine door, his hand on the handle. Mal's breath caught in her throat as he slowly pulled the door open.

Suddenly, two boys tumbled out.

"Stop! You got everything else! Why do you want whatever this is?" Carlos protested as him and Jay fought for the blanket they'd discovered in the limousine, the band dying down at the sight.

"'Cause you want it!" Jay argued as Evie gracefully climbed out of the limousine, followed by Ben, who wore the single most disappointed expression Mal had ever seen.

"Guys!" Ben called, causing the two boys to stop immediately, "We have an audience."

"Leave it like you found it!" Fairy Godmother teased, taking control of the situation, "And by that, I mean just leave it."

With a few more tugs back and forth, the boys eventually threw the blanket back into the limousine, along with the rest of the electronics they'd attempted to steal. Ben rolled his eyes at his friends behaviour, stifling a smirk as Jay approached one of the girls standing in front of them.

"Hello, foxy," Jay attempted as he approached Audrey, "The name is Jay."

Audrey awkwardly laughed, shuffling closer to Mal as Fairy Godmother quickly intervened.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep!" Fairy Godmother interrupted cheerily, "I'm Fairy Godmother, the Headmistress."

"Fairy Godmother?" Ben asked with sparked interest, "As in, 'Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo'?"

"Bibbidi-bobbidi, you know it," Fairy Godmother beamed.

Mal stared at the blue-leathered boy curiously. Something about him seemed familiar, like in a distant dream. Not to mention he was cute. Like, _really_ cute. Far too cute to be on the Isle, Mal thought, with his soft features and innocent eyes.

"Yeah, I always wondered what it felt like for Cinderella when you just appeared, out of nowhere, with that sparkly wand and warm smile," Ben laughed, pausing before adding, "And that sparkly wand."

"That was a long time ago," Fairy Godmother sighed before gesturing passionately, "And as I always say, 'don't focus on the past or you'll miss the future!'"

Mal took that as her cue to step forwards, pulling Audrey along with her. She instantly plastered on her best smile, "It's so good to finally meet you all. I'm Mal."

"Princess Mal," Audrey corrected her sweetly, "Soon to be crowned Queen!"

"An odd name for a princess..." Evie mused to herself before stepping forwards proudly, "My mom's a queen, which makes me also princess."

Audrey laughed awkwardly, "The Evil Queen has no royal status here, and neither do you."

Mal gently kicked Audrey's shoe, as a reminder to play nice. Audrey didn't like to have her picture perfect life threatened, and could often get a little... Mean, to put it nicely.

"This is Audrey," Mal introduced.

"Princess Audrey," Audrey corrected her, "Mal's best friend."

"Mal and Audrey are going to show you all around, and I'll see you tomorrow," Fairy Godmother cut in, "The doors of wisdom are never shut. But the library hours are from 8:00 to 11:00. And as you may have heard, I have a little thing about curfews."

With a final cheery wave, Fairy Godmother began her retreat back to her office. Mal took this as her opportunity to use her diplomatic skills and, hopefully, make the villain kids feel welcome.

"It is so good to finally meet you all," Mal paused as she shook Ben's hand, getting lost in his familiar eyes for just a few extra awkward moments before she shook Evie's hand next, making her way down the line, "This is a momentous occasion, and one that I hope will go down in history. As the day our two peoples began to heal."

"Or the day that you showed four peoples where the bathrooms are," Ben joked, crossing his arms as Mal laughed.

"A little bit over the top?" Mal asked, causing Ben to smirk.

"Maybe just a little," Ben responded, the two sharing a gentle laugh.

"Well, so much for first impressions," Mal rolled her eyes, unable to tear her eyes away from the boy in front of her.

Audrey knew her best friend better than anyone else did, and the lovesick expression on Mal's face told her everything she needed to know; she found the son of a villain attractive. For the greater good of Auradon and, of course, her best friend, she quickly interrupted the conversation.

"Hey! You're Maleficent's son, aren't you?" Audrey questioned innocently, "Yeah, you know what? I totally do not blame you for your mother trying to kill my parents and stuff. Oh, my mom's Aurora. Sleeping-"

"Beauty! Yeah, I've heard the name," Ben replied bitterly, "You know, and I totally do not blame your grandparents for inviting everyone in the whole world _but my mother_ to their stupid christening."

"Water under the bridge," Audrey smiled deviously, confident in having reminded her best friend exactly who she was speaking to.

"Okay! So how about a tour?" Mal interrupted awkwardly, sending Audrey a small glare.

"Fabulous idea!" Audrey gushed, "Ooh, lets start with the Tourney fields, shall we?"

Audrey quickly gripped Mal's arm as the two lead the group of villain kids through the grounds of Auradon Prep. Mal sighed as the tension of the past few days subsided. Nothing horrible had gone wrong yet, and if she could prove that the people on the Isle could change and be proven innocent, then she was sure she'd be able to lead Auradon into a prosperous future.

She just really, _really_ hoped she wasn't wrong.


	4. Chapter 3: Heist

The moment the two princesses had managed to find Doug and leave him with the new Villain Kids, Audrey had dragged Mal back into their room as quickly as humanly possible, her perfectly manicured nails digging into the pale girls arm.

"Ouch," Mal groaned as she rubbed her arm, "What was that for?"

"You're falling for him," Audrey stated simply, jutting her bottom lip forwards in disappointment, "Merlin Mal - you've just met him. And he's the son of the worst villain in all the land!"

"Woah, hold on a minute," Mal interrupted in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"The way you were looking at Ben," Audrey explained, "I haven't seen you look at anyone like that since the third grade when you fell in love with Merida's son-"

"We agreed to never speak of that incident ever again," Mal cut off sharply, "And besides, you know I don't have time for boys. You have nothing to worry about."

"You better be telling me the truth," Audrey grumbled before seating herself down next to Mal, "I just don't want to see you get hurt. He's a villain after all."

"You have nothing to worry about," Mal repeated, biting her tongue as she suppressed the memory of the boys eyes. Audrey was right, she had to focus on her future and not some mysterious boy.

"I believe you," Audrey sighed, falling backwards onto the bed, "And I seriously hope you were right in bringing them here."

"I'm right, I'm sure of it," Mal assured her, but really, she was trying to assure herself.

* * *

Ben had been lucky enough to be roomed in the same dorm as Carlos and Jay. However, his luck had ended when he'd been informed that magic had been 'retired' in Auradon.

"How can magic even retire?" Ben asked as he lay on his overly-comfortable bed, "I mean; surely its a lot more valuable and important than technology, right?"

"I don't know about that one," Carlos called as he busied himself with whatever game he was playing on their television, "I don't think magic could do this."

A knock on the door interrupted Ben's train of thought. With a sigh, he stood up and made his way over, opening the door slowly.

"Can someone tell him he's being unreasonable please?" Evie sighed as her and Jay stood in the corridor, quickly ushered in by Ben.

"Jay, what are you doing?" Ben asked as Jay began emptying his pockets on their dorm table.

"It's called stealing," Jay smirked, dumping a fifth watch on the overgrowing pile of jewellery he'd stolen.

"Okay, what's the point?" Ben questioned.

"It's like buying whatever I want, except It's free," Jay explained lamely, rolling his eyes.

"Okay..." Ben trailed off, "So, you could do that, or you could leave all of this here and pick it up when we take over the world!"

"You sound just like your mother," Evie sighed as she retouched her lipgloss in her magic mirror.

"Thank you," Ben replied somewhat proudly.

"You do it your way, and I'll do it mine," Jay shrugged, stashing his loot in the bedside drawer of one of the beds.

Ben paced the floor of their dorm room as he plotted. If magic had been retired in Auradon, it meant that the magic wand was potentially useless. They could attempt to find it, but there were little to no possibilities of it actually working in their favour, but surely his mother could make it work again, right? Sure, he wanted to get out of Auradon as quickly as possible, but he also had to be strategic.

"Evie, mirror me," Ben commanded as his friend kept plucking at her eyebrows, "We need to find the wand."

"Mirror mirror on- in my hand," Evie began casually, "Where does Fairy Godmothers wand... Stand?"

Evie rolled her eyes as the Mirror showed her a photo of the earth, "Magic Mirror, closer."

"Um, how long is this going to take?" Carlos asked, "Because I kinda want to get back to my-"

"There it is!" Ben exclaimed, "It's in a museum. Do we know where that is?"

Carlos quickly typed something into a laptop, "About 2.3 miles from here."

"So?" Evie asked, "What should we do?"

Ben paused considering his options before nodding, "We should go."

* * *

The quartet of VK's tiptoed their way through the streets of Auradon before finally arriving to _The_ _Auardon Museum of Cultural History_. Ben wrinkled his nose at the sight of the well-manicured lawns and marble fountains, which still glimmered with water during the night.

"Come on. Check your mirror," Ben prompted as Evie pulled the Magic Mirror out of her bag.

"Is my mascara smudged?" Evie asked worriedly, having just finished a marathon-worthy run to the museum.

Ben rolled his eyes, "Yeah. And, hey, while you're at it, why don't you see If you can find us the wand?"

"Sure," Evie smiled, "This way."

The boys followed as Evie lead the way to the entrance to the museum, stopping in front of the doors as they spotted a security guard lounging next to some computer screens. In front of them also stood none other than Maleficent's spinning wheel, which made Jay snicker.

"That's your mother's spinning wheel?" Jay snorted.

"It's kinda dorky," Carlos added, nudging Ben playfully.

"It's magic. It doesn't have to look scary," Ben defended, pulling out his mothers spell book and flicking through some pages.

He frowned as he spotted a suitable spell, which had been partially scribbled out. Instead of his mothers purple letterings, blue ink had started to form on the page in front of him, replacing some phrases of the spell.

" _Magic spindle, do not linger. Make my victim prick a finger,"_ Ben read, watching as the blue ink swirled on the page before continuing, " _Prick the finger, prick it deep. Send my enemy off to sleep."_

Ben smirked in satisfaction as the spindle suddenly started glowing blue, entrancing the security guard. Without hesitation, the guard touched the needle, and instantly fell into a deep sleep.

"Not so dorky now, huh?" Ben bragged, closing the spell book before pulling the door open.

But of course, the door was locked.

"Stand back," Jay smirked, preparing to throw himself into the door as Ben flipped through the spellbook.

 _"Make it easy, make it quick, open up without a-"_ Ben started, interrupted by Jay slamming through the door, effectively opening it.

"Way to go Jay," Carlos praised, holding his hand out to Jay to help him up. Jay glared at the hand, standing up on his own as Carlos muttered, "I was only trying to help."

"Come on guys," Evie called as her and Ben tiptoed through the museum, making their way up to the first floor.

They rushed from room to room, frantically trying to find the magic wand. They only had one more room in the first floor to check; the Villains room.

The minute they stepped in, they all froze.

In front of them stood hyper-realistic statues of none other than their parents, dressed in their most famous villainous outfits. Everyone mumbled their own little reactions, all apart from Ben, who stood frozen, and mostly confused.

Looking at his mother like this, in her glory days, made him wonder how on earth he could live up to her legacy. How could he make her proud when he had such a grand legacy to live up to? He'd never admit it out loud, but sometimes he wished he'd had a different life, one far away from the weight of being Evil.

"Well, the wands not here," Jay declared, breaking Ben out of his trance, "Let's bounce."

* * *

"So, who are you going to bring to the coronation?" Jane asked Audrey excitedly as she braided her hair, "I'm sure _everyone_ has asked you to be their date, right?"

"Obviously," Audrey confirmed, flipping to the next page of her magazine, "But as a _princess_ , I need to choose carefully... Which I haven't done yet."

"What she means is that no one is good enough," Mal teased, receiving a nod from Audrey.

"I can't just bring anyone to the coronation," Audrey continued, "I mean, I'd bring Chad but he's clearly Mal's best shot at getting a date."

"Excuse me?" Mal asked, both repulsed at the idea of dating Chad and shocked Audrey had actually put so much thought into the matter.

"Chad is the only person with enough royal status to actually be impressive as a date for the future Queen," Audrey explained plainly, Jane nodding along obediently, "You need to date someone with status Mal, and Chad has plenty."

"But you're the one who likes Chad," Mal stated, causing Audrey to rip away from her magazine.

"W-Why would you say that?" Audrey stumbled, her cheeks glowing red.

"The whole school knows it!" Lonnie supplied as she walked out of the en-suite bathroom in her pajamas, drying her hair with a towel, "You guys are like, perfect for each other."

Audrey tucked back into her magazine as she felt her face blush brighter, "Guys, shut up!"

The three girls laughed along with their blushing friend, Lonnie barely dodging the pillow Audrey threw at her. Mal smiled as her friends broke out in a pillow fight, watching as feathers began to fly around the room.

She'd missed hanging out with her friends like this. She didn't have many, with her busy schedule and royal duties and whatnot, but she was thankful for the three that she had. Sure, Audrey could be a bit of a handful sometimes, but she was still her best friend. And Jane and Lonnie had the best intentions, even with their sometimes dopey demeanor.

Mal especially loved nights like this; hanging out in Lonnie and Jane's dorm room late in the night, teasing each other with secret crushes and gossip... She wondered if the kids on the Isle did the same; if they even _had_ friendships.

Mal's thoughts were interrupted by a pillow flying straight to her face, which she narrowly ducked. She smirked, throwing it straight back at Lonnie.

"Oh, it's on," Mal grinned, the girls squealing as more pillows began flying through the air.


	5. Chapter 4: Tourney

So... The heist hadn't gone quite as planned.

Despite their best efforts, the wand had been under alarm, meaning they had to flee the scene of the crime without the wand and with their pride slightly dented. This also meant they had school the next day, and it wouldn't be a day of classes in Auradon Prep without 'Remedial Goodness 101'.

"If someone hands you a crying baby, do you, A, curse it? B, lock it in a tower? C, give it a bottle? Or D, carve out its heart?" Fairy Godmother asked the class with a jolly smile on her face, oblivious to what the four villains had been up to the previous night, "Evie?"

"Um..." Evie paused, "What was the second one?"

"Okay, anyone else?" Fairy Godmother deflected hopefully.

"C; give it a bottle," Ben answered, hoping to Merlin that the class would end soon.

"Correct," Fairy Godmother smiled, "Again."

"You are on fire," Carlos commented, Ben simply shrugging. He didn't find the questions that hard, really.

"Just pick the one that doesn't sound like any fun," Ben lied. He'd used common sense, obviously.

The other three villains nodded thoughtfully, turning back to face the front of the class as Evie mumbled, "That makes so much sense."

Fairy Godmother was about to continue her class, but a shy girl at the entrance stopped her. She beamed at her daughter, calling her through, "Hello, dear one!"

"You need to sign an early dismissal for the coronation," Jane mumbled as she hurried past the villains, handing the clipboard over to her mother.

"Everyone here remembers my daughter, Jane?" Fairy Godmother asked, turning Jane to face the others as she protested, "It's okay. Jane, this is everyone."

"Hi. That's okay, don't mind me," Jane hurriedly replied, grabbing the clipboard off her mother, "As you were."

Jane hurried out of the room quickly, a few snickers emitting from the villain kids.

"Let's continue. You find a vial of poison. Do you, A, put it in the king's wine? B, paint it on an apple? Or C, turn it over to the proper authorities?"

* * *

So Fairy Godmother had somehow managed to get Ben, Jay and Carlos onto the Tourney field, and needless to say, Ben was not pleased. He didn't have time for team games, or whatever this was. They had a job to do, and playing Tourney was certainly not-

"Jay, Ben, offense. Chad, you're defense. Taylor, you're the shooter."

"Yes Coach!" A boy next to Ben called, running off to the side of the field. Ben rolled his eyes at Jay, pulling his helmet on and running to the other side.

Meanwhile, Audrey and her cheerleaders were on the side of the field practicing their routine, with Mal sat on the bleachers behind them, desperately trying to write her coronation speech. She really should be in her room or the library, but quite frankly Audrey was far more persuasive than the prospect of royal duties. That, and she wanted to see how the boys would do at Tourney.

She knew Chad wouldn't give them an easy time, especially if he thought his position on the team was being threatened. She also knew, however, that they'd grown up on the Isle, and that 'Teams' were probably a foreign concept.

Which reminded her; her speech. She had to finish it as soon as possible, but what could she say? That she'd protect the people of Auradon for as long as she lived? Any and every idea Mal had seemed to be copied and pasted from a textbook on 'how-to-be-royal'. Nothing she wrote truly felt like her words.

Suddenly, the whole cheerleading team started squealing and jumping wildly, all save for Audrey. Mal leant down from the bleachers to tap Audrey's back.

"What's going on?" Mal asked, Audrey turning with a frown.

"That boy from the Isle scored," Audrey complained, her arms crossed in annoyance.

Mal looked up and spotted Coach Jenkins happily hurrying over to Ben and Jay, who seemed to have scored a phenomenal goal. Carlos seemed to wander confused, which Mal smirked at. She knew someone would have to be tasked to teach him the game, and secretly, Mal hoped it would be Chad.

"Come on," Audrey ordered to her cheerleaders, turning to face away from the field, "Let's practice elsewhere. Mal, you coming?"

"I think I'm going to stay, actually," Mal replied, her eyes trailing back onto the field, and more specifically, to Ben, who seemed to have an actual genuine smile on her face.

Maybe bringing the kids from the Isle to Auradon had been the right choice after all.

* * *

"The boys were amazing on the field today," Jane commented as her, Mal, Audrey, Chad and Doug walked down the hallways of the school.

"Are you kidding me?!" Audrey protested, "That pass was totally against regulation, right Chad?"

"Right," Chad agreed, "Those kids are trouble."

"Come on guys, give them a chance," Mal protested as they stopped by Audrey's locker, "They aren't their parents, you know?"

Audrey turned to look at Mal, grabbing her shoulder gently, "No offense, Mal darling, but you're just _too_ trusting. Look, I know your mom fell in love with a big nasty beast who turned out to be a prince. But with my mom, the evil fairy was _just_ the evil fairy."

Audrey turned to look at the row of lockers just left of them, where Ben and his friends stood. She sneered before finishing, "That boy's mother."

"I think you're wrong about them," Mal finished, standing her ground. She turned to the rest of her friends, then Ben, making a decision. She smiled at Audrey before finishing with, "I'll see you later."

She began walking towards Ben, stopping just at the open locker door, "Hey."

Ben looked up, surprised to see none other than the future Queen herself, "Hey yourself."

"How was your first day?" Mal asked, very aware of the many pairs of eyes burning into her back right now.

"Super," Ben joked, closing his locker door.

"You should really think about joining the Tourney team full-time. I saw you guys practice today," Mal explained, "I could, uh, say something to Coach if you want? And I'm sure Chad would love to coach you guys."

"Way to take all the fun out of it," Ben teased, frowning, "Hey, what's that?"

Ben pointed to a small strand of Mal's hair which hung just on the side of her face. However, instead of the pale blonde colour to match the rest of Mal's hair, this strand was dark purple, climbing up her hair into the roots. Mal grabbed her phone, checking her hair in the reflection. She quickly tucked the hair behind her ear, covering it with her blonde hair.

"Chemistry experiment!" Mal explained hurriedly, "Yeah, um, Jane wanted to try this new product she made. You know, girls stuff."

If any more of her hair turned purple, she knew someone else was bound to notice. Someone like Audrey or Chad. She had to get out of there and spell her hair back to Blonde.

"Well, it was nice talking but, uh, duty calls," Mal mock saluted, cursing herself for the sheer awkwardness of it all, "Gotta run, bye!"

Mal rushed away, keeping her head low as she made her way to the nearest bathroom. There was no way she was getting discovered, not this close to her coronation.

Ben, however, was just confused. He'd just had Chemistry with Jane, and Mal was certainly not there.

Something was going on.


End file.
